The Stephens & Mephisto novels/Brighton Mysteries Books in Order: How to read Elly Griffiths’s series?

Written by British crime novelist Elly Griffiths, better known for her Ruth Galloway series, the Stephens and Mephisto Mystery series is also sometimes called the Brighton Mysteries.

Set in post-war atmospheric Brighton, the book series follows Detective Inspector Edgar Stephens and the magician Max Mephisto, who served together in World War II. They served together in a shadowy unit called the Magic Men, a special ops troop that used stage tricks to confound the enemy. Now they work together to solve mysteries.

How to Read The Brighton Mystery Series in Order?

Every book in The Stephens & Mephisto series works as a standalone story, but the lives of the different characters evolve from one novel to the other.

1. The Zig Zag Girl – Brighton, 1950. A girl is found cut in three, and Detective Inspector Edgar Stephens is convinced the killer is mimicking a famous magic trick-the Zig Zag Girl. The inventor of the trick, Max Mephisto, served with Edgar in a special ops troop called the Magic Men that used stage illusions to confound the enemy. When Edgar asks for his help with the case, Max is reluctant to leave this world to help Edgar investigate. But when the dead girl turns out to be known to him, Max changes his mind.
2. Smoke and Mirrors – It’s Christmastime in Brighton, and the city is abuzz about magician Max Mephisto’s star turn in Aladdin. But the holiday cheer is lost on DI Edgar Stephens. He’s investigating the murder of two children, Annie and Mark, who were found in the woods alongside a trail of candy-a horrifying scene eerily reminiscent of “Hansel and Gretel.”
3. The Blood Card – Elizabeth II’s coronation is looming, but DI Edgar Stephens is busy investigating the death of a local fortune-teller. Meanwhile, his old pal, the magician Max Mephisto, is rehearsing for his television debut, a coronation day variety show. But upon hearing that their wartime commander, Colonel Cartwright, has been found dead in his flat, the two men join forces to find out what happened.

4. The Vanishing Box – It’s the holiday season, and Max Mephisto and his daughter Ruby have landed a headlining gig at the Brighton Hippodrome, the biggest theater in the city, an achievement only slightly marred by the less-than-savory supporting act: a tableau show of naked “living statues.” But when one of the girls goes missing and turns up dead not long after, Max and Ruby realize there’s something far more sinister than obscenity afoot in the theater.
5. Now You See Them – The new decade is going well for Edgar Stephens and his good friend the magician Max Mephisto. Edgar’s new wife, though-former detective Emma-is restless and frustrated at home, knowing she was the best detective on the team. But when an investigation into a string of disappearing girls begins, Emma sees her chance to get back in the action.
6. The Midnight Hour – Newly minted PI Emma Holmes and her partner Sam Collins are just settling into their business when they’re chosen for a high-profile case: retired music-hall star Verity Malone hires them to find out who poisoned her husband, a theater impresario. Verity herself has been accused of the crime. The only hitch-the Brighton police are already on the case, putting Emma in direct competition with her husband. Soon Emma realizes that Verity’s life intersects closely with her own-most notably in their mutual connection, Max Mephisto, who has returned to England from America with his children and famous wife, Hollywood star Lydia Lamont.

Don’t hesitate to follow us on Twitter or Facebook to discover more book series.